AlexMB Posted July 4, 2022 Report Share Posted July 4, 2022 Thanks in advance for your patience with me—I am new to home ceramics and learning. I’m looking into buying a kiln for the first time and very confused about venting. I came across one YouTuber that fires her small kiln in the little guest half-bathroom and just turns on the bathroom vent. I’m also seeing used kilns for sale that don’t have vents installed and appear to have been used a lot sans-vent. If we were planning to be in this house a long time I’d be thinking of a permanent vent installation but we are actively looking to move and so I’m thinking about more temporary solutions. Kiln location ideas: We don’t keep cars in the cement floored garage but have kids stuff (bikes and scooters, etc) and lawnmowers in there. That’s one place I thought about putting the kiln. We also have 2 screened porches with LVT flooring (plastic that looks like wood tile floors) and they have ceiling fans. I had also thought about our basement guest room, there’s plenty of space but the floor is LVT. I was initially thinking I could attach something like the envirovent tube end to a piece of plywood that fits in the window, and when not in use, close the window and have the vent end just sitting on the ground? Locally near me there are a few nice looking kilns for sale, a paragon with a DTC 1000 controller, a Skutt doll kiln…neither of which have a vent installed currently. I could just buy new but do love to find a good deal. Should I be searching for kilns that don’t require a permanent venting hookup? Is anything going to be safe to fire in my garage or LVT floored screened porch without adding a vent? I could use as detailed help/explanations as you can find it in your heart to give me. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kswan Posted July 4, 2022 Report Share Posted July 4, 2022 If you've ever seen the corrosion that happens inside vent tubes, you would not want your bathroom exhaust to have that happen to it! You need to place your kiln on something nonflammable like concrete, so I would think your garage is the best bet. If you were to have it on vinyl, you need a brick or cinderblock layer covering the whole area under where the kiln is. I use the method of vent attached to plywood in a window. My window pane comes completely off, and I replace it with the vent when I fire. I use rubber pipe insulation around the edges of the plywood to seal gaps and to help hold it in place. When I'm not firing, I can take the vent out of the window and I lay it on the floor near my kilns. I just pop the window back into its hinges and don't have to worry about it. A kiln without a vent can have one added later. There are other people who can tell you about all that, but I know it can be done easily. Callie Beller Diesel and Piedmont Pottery 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexMB Posted July 4, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2022 15 minutes ago, kswan said: If you've ever seen the corrosion that happens inside vent tubes, you would not want your bathroom exhaust to have that happen to it! You need to place your kiln on something nonflammable like concrete, so I would think your garage is the best bet. If you were to have it on vinyl, you need a brick or cinderblock layer covering the whole area under where the kiln is. I use the method of vent attached to plywood in a window. My window pane comes completely off, and I replace it with the vent when I fire. I use rubber pipe insulation around the edges of the plywood to seal gaps and to help hold it in place. When I'm not firing, I can take the vent out of the window and I lay it on the floor near my kilns. I just pop the window back into its hinges and don't have to worry about it. A kiln without a vent can have one added later. There are other people who can tell you about all that, but I know it can be done easily. Thank you! That is sort of what I was thinking about using our HVAC system as ventilation. I could do the plywood window vent thing in our garage but is that overkill if the garage door can just be opened? kswan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted July 4, 2022 Report Share Posted July 4, 2022 welcome to the forum. there are a few things to consider in addition to what you are asking. if you are brand new, you will probably not make much that needs firing to save for all time. as you learn, remember that you are learning a skill so the things you make will get better all the time. the weight will progress from a bowling ball to something more like a "real" bowl. the question is, do you want to save forever some of those early projects? the other question is "how long is temporary"" venting is really not essential if you pick your location well.. look at used kilns in other folks' studios. see how the band holding the top on the kiln looks, ask how long the kiln has been used. yes, there is some change in the looks of the metal from firing. if you have a large fan running the fumes will be sent out the window or door as the firing takes place. kilns have been used in garages for many years before the current vemts were invented.. add these thoughtst to your mix. and , do not forget to have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexMB Posted July 4, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2022 Thank you very much for the kind words and thoughtful gift of information! I will be pondering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kswan Posted July 4, 2022 Report Share Posted July 4, 2022 One thing you'd want to think about is if people or animals could touch the hot kiln while the garage door was open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted July 4, 2022 Report Share Posted July 4, 2022 For years I fired a kiln with not venting system in my garage. Garage is brick with concrete floor, aluminum garage door, and metal entry door about 20X10. I fired the kiln through out the year. Temps in the garage would rise to about 110F at times. Last kiln died after 30+ years. New kiln smaller total square feet, but larger diameter has a floor vent system that has a flex hose attached to a fans system at the end. I have mounted this into a piece of plywood that I put in the open window to vent outside. The system works great and the garage stays cooler. The new kiln has a genesis controller that allows me to monitor the kiln on my computer or my phone. The firings seem to be a little brighter in color with the vent on, and the controller is spot on now that I have it calibrated. IMHO, if looking for a used or new kiln I would go with this sort of system. At least a kiln setter and downdraft vent system. Over the years at a HS I have found that over head hoods get in the way. best, Pres kswan and Piedmont Pottery 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexMB Posted July 4, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2022 4 hours ago, Pres said: IMHO, if looking for a used or new kiln I would go with this sort of system. At least a kiln setter and downdraft vent system. Over the years at a HS I have found that over head hoods get in the way. best, Pres thanks for this—do you have a model I could look up? The one you found sounds really great & I agree about overhead vents, I can see they’d be in the way just looking at photos of them I feel claustrophobic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted July 5, 2022 Report Share Posted July 5, 2022 @AlexMBThis is what the unit looks like. It could be used on any kiln. You would have to drill some holes in the floor of the kiln, but not very big or many. https://www.baileypottery.com/c-250-vent.html best, Pres Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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